The result of the poll was clear. Martin Braithwaite was the best signing, receiving 37% and more than 200 votes than any of his fellow Boro newcomers.

That despite the fact he'd only played eight games at the time. The result was understandable, though. At the time Braithwaite's influence was increasing by the week and in flashes he looked head and shoulders above the vast majority of players in the division.

Towards the end of the season, we asked the same question again, but obviously included the three January additions - Mo Besic, Jack Harrison and Martin Cranie.

Martin Braithwaite. (Image: Evening Gazette)

Of the 13 signings made last season, who was Boro's best?

Five months after the initial poll, Braithwaite this time received just 15 of almost 2,000 votes.

And having been named Boro's second best signing of the summer back in November, classy right-back Cyrus Christie this time received just 1% of votes in the poll.

Ryan Shotton, on the other hand. Well his popularity has soared. Back in November Shotton had played just 154 minutes of first team action and received just eight votes.

Now, according to the latest poll, Shotton turned out to be Boro's third best signing last season.

So who were the top two?

We reveal the signings who most impressed supporters last season and also assess the impact of all of the other squad additions over the course of the campaign.

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The stand-out two

Mo Besic didn't make his first start for Boro until the defeat to Cardiff in mid-February and didn't play a full 90 minutes until the draw at Sunderland.

In four months and 17 appearances, though, the no-nonsense Bosnian midfielder established himself as a fans' favourite. The fans' favourite.

The best signing of last season. Only two players received more than 200 votes in our poll. Besic got more than 700.

According to 39% of those who took part, the Everton man was Boro's best bit of business last season. It was undoubtedly Pulis's best move in January, a shrewd signing of a player who had lost his spot in the Everton team but hadn't lost any of his hunger.

He turned down moves elsewhere to join Boro after being struck by what Pulis said to him in a conversation over the phone. No doubt the Boro boss would love to make another call this summer and make the loan move a permanent - but that could be difficult.

Everton are unlikely to sanction any movement until there's clarity on the new boss. We'll go from there.

Regardless of what happens, though, Besic had an impact on the season, improved Boro and impressed the fans.

The only 2017/18 signing who pushed Besic close was goalkeeper Darren Randolph .

In a bizarre up and down season of inconsistency and unpredictability, Randolph, as has been said on numerous occasions, was a constant for Boro. He was solid, sound and reliable over the course of the full campaign - as demonstrated by the fact he was voted as one of the top three Boro signings in November and second best in the poll at the end of the season - hundreds of votes ahead of third place.

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Three signings who've been key

When we ran the best signings poll back in November, Ryan Shotton received one more vote than Lewis Baker, two more than Ashley Fletcher and five more than Connor Roberts.

In the same poll at the end of the season, the defender was voted as Boro's third best signing last season.

If there was one player who welcomed the appointment of Tony Pulis more than any other then it was surely Shotton. He was hardly even a bit-part player under Monk, starting only two games.

He was on the fringes and almost three months had passed between his first start for the club, against Brentford, and his second, when he was rather randomly brought back into the team for the win at Sheffield Wednesday, Monk's last game in charge.

Under Pulis, he featured in 21 of the 22 league games and there's absolutely nothing to suggest he won't be a go-to man for the boss next season either.

Ryan Shotton applauds the fans

That's nowhere near as clear with Britt Assombalonga .

It's been a rather peculiar season in many senses for Assombalonga. He's scored 15 goals - a more than respectable return - and yet only four of those came from November 22 onwards. And the majority of the second half of the season was spent on the bench and playing second fiddle to the club's other strikers - this after Pulis had let two leave the club in January.

That Assombalonga finished the season in possession of a starting berth is proof that the messages Pulis are trying to get over to him are being taken on board. But it seems a near certainty that the manager will look to add at least one new striker to his ranks this summer. What does that mean for Assombalonga?

Britt Assombalonga in action against Aston Villa

Assombalonga and Jonny Howson were split by just six votes in the poll.

After a shaky start, which was more to do with tactical uncertainty than the player himself, Howson enjoyed a solid if not spectacular first campaign with the club.

He benefited from the arrival of Mo Besic and also looked to be at his best when he had the security of Adam Clayton sitting behind and had the license to roam.

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The rest - and a common trend

Where most of the other newcomers last season were concerned, there was a common trend - blink and you'll miss them.

Since the appointment of Tony Pulis, Marvin Johnson has played only eight minutes in the league and Lewis Baker 31.

Martin Braithwaite and Ashley Fletcher were obviously both allowed to leave on loan and both played a fair bit of football at Bordeaux and Sunderland respectively.

Ashley Fletcher

Braithwaite scored five goals in his last five games in Ligue 1 which gives the French side plenty to think about as they consider whether to make the striker's loan deal permanent.

Fletcher is an interesting one. What does Pulis do next with the striker? It's worth remembering he's still only 22 and another loan move next season wouldn't be a bad move for all parties concerned.

You'd be hard pressed to find a fan who'd have criticised Cyrus Christie in the first half of the season but Pulis clearly immediately decided that the Irishman, while a fine footballer, wasn't the type of player he wanted in his defence.

Christie has played only five games for Fulham and has been a victim of the excellence of Ryan Fredericks. Should Fredericks sign a new deal at Craven Cottage this summer then Christie may well be left with a decision to make.

The above eight players received just 5% of the vote between them in our best signing poll.